Before Dahlia even knew his name, Andrew had already made an unforgettable impression—on her dad.

While living in Denver, Andrew met Dahlia’s dad, Josh, at a Vintage men’s retreat. When Josh returned home, he told his daughter, “Dahlia, if you ever marry anyone, it should be Andrew.” She laughed, thinking he was being overly dramatic. She hadn’t even met the guy.

Months later, Andrew visited Fort Collins to spend time with his sisters—including Casey, who was on the worship team with Dahlia. During a Sunday service, he noticed Dahlia worshipping and asked Casey who she was. Later that morning, Dahlia was volunteering at the 40 Days for Life table with her mom, Kristy, when Andrew approached. He asked a string of lighthearted, slightly awkward questions—clearly just trying to talk to her. Dahlia, ever reserved, said very little. And that was that… for a while.

Nearly a year and a half passed. Then Andrew moved from Denver to Loveland and began attending Vintage Church—the same church Dahlia and her family had called home for years. Whether he remembered her or not, her dad certainly remembered him. That June, while the family was rebuilding their front porch, Josh invited Andrew over under the pretense of “helping with the deck,” but really, he just wanted them to finally meet properly.

From that day on, something shifted.

Andrew became a regular at the house—sailing on the lake behind their home, staying for dinner, laughing with her siblings, and eventually being adopted into the family as their unofficial big brother. He fit seamlessly into their world, like he’d always belonged there.

As the summer unfolded, so did something unexpected and beautiful between Andrew and Dahlia. They started talking more, sharing stories, and slowly building a deep and meaningful friendship. A few days before they started dating, Dahlia said to her mom, “I love him. Whether that’s simply as a friend, or something more, I just love him.”

On Saturday, June 29th, 2024, Andrew invited Dahlia to go sailing with his family on Dillon Lake. What was meant to be a fun day between friends quickly turned magical. They sat on the boat with their legs hanging over the edge, talked for hours, and watched the rain fall on their faces as the sun still shone above them. Andrew tucked flowers into her hair. They swam, laughed, shared memories, and ended the day with dinner alongside his family. It felt like a dream—the kind that stays with you long after it’s over.

The next day, Andrew met with Josh to ask if he could pursue Dahlia with intention. Dahlia had never dated before—she’d made a decision early on to wait until she knew it was someone she could see herself marrying. Her dad gave his blessing.

That evening, Andrew asked Dahlia to go on a walk. They wandered for hours, talking about everything that had led to that moment. By the end of the night, they joked about being in a “situationship,” since the word dating still felt a little intimidating. But by the next morning, after telling Kristy everything, Dahlia knew her heart had already said yes. With her mom by her side, she wrote Andrew a long, heartfelt message. He responded with joy.

On July 1st, 2024, their story officially began.

Since that day, their journey has been marked by joy, depth, laughter, and the quiet certainty that something extraordinary was unfolding.

Then came April 6th, 2025.

Andrew brought Dahlia flowers that morning and asked her to wear them in her hair. She got ready for church like any other Sunday, unaware of what the day held. That morning, two people asked if they were engaged yet—Dahlia blushed, but shrugged it off. After brunch with her family, they left to “go shooting.”

On the drive, Andrew played a playlist filled with love songs and engagement anthems. As Dahlia listened, her heart started to race. “What if,” she thought, “this is the last day we’re just dating?”

They arrived at a breathtaking mountaintop. Andrew set up targets, and Dahlia helped, believing it was just a shooting day after all. But as she stood on a rock to aim, Andrew quietly knelt behind her. When she turned around, her breath caught.

Tears welled up in her eyes—so many that Andrew finally laughed and said, “Have you even looked at the ring yet?”

She hadn’t. And when she finally did, the tears kept coming.

What Dahlia didn’t know was that her dear friend Makenna had gone ahead of them to capture the moment from afar. After what felt like the most beautiful forever standing on that rock, Makenna came down and joined them, celebrating and taking photos as the mountain echoed with joy.

And in a twist that only made the day more memorable, Andrew’s truck broke down on the way home. Makenna drove them back—where a house full of their favorite people were waiting to surprise and celebrate the beginning of forever.

What began with a simple retreat conversation has become a story stitched together with faith, family, laughter, and deep, enduring love. We can’t wait to say "I do" and begin this next adventure—side by side.

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